FARMERS' REGISTER— REMARKS ON THE PAPERS OF NO. 9. 743 



of these pests. Briers are easily cut down with 

 knives made for the purpose, and they form a valu- 

 able covering over galled spots, or add to the ma- 

 nure bank. When not m ])atches the plough 

 sufficiently masters them. Annual burning tends 

 to impoverish and liarden the soil of even tlie 

 richest wood land. 



I have, Mr. Editor, in a lame, and I fear, tedious 

 manner, endeavored to answer your correspon- 

 dent, Peter De. Qiiir. Since he did not act on 

 his own recommendation to others, he cannot com- 

 plain that his queries have not been responded to 

 in propria nomine. But, if he does, he has only 

 to adopt the Arabic mode, and read backwards. 



RlUqEDRETEP. 



REMARKS ON THE PAPERS CONTAIXED IN 

 NO. 9 OF THE farmers' REGISTER. 



To the Editor of the Farmers' Register. 



Presuming that the chief motive of all who 

 write for your paper, is, a sincere desire to benefit 

 the cause of agriculture, I shall take it for granted 

 that none will be displeased by the expression of 

 any doubts or objections to which their communi- 

 cations may give rise — provided there be nothing 

 blameable in the ten)per or manner of doing it. 

 Nearly as much good may sometimes be done in 

 this way, as in any other. 



Influenced by this belief, I shall proceed without 

 farther preface, to ofier such remarks as have sug- 

 gested themselves to my mind in perusing your 

 February No. They will be presented without 

 connection, and without regarding any thing but 

 the order in which the several articles commented 

 upon, follow each other in your paper. 



What is meant by the terms — "brakes'" and 

 "peat-moss" in Mr. James Hale's premium disser- 

 tation? The first is a provincialism not understood 

 in middle Virginia, and the second is not generally 

 believed to exist in the United States — if what 

 is so called in England, Scotland, and Ireland can 

 be found in them at all. 



Mr. Hale's plan for collecting and making ma- 

 nure by "a compost heap," I like much, saving 

 the location which he recommends; since I am 

 perfectly sure that no firmer with a Virginia-nose 

 could possibly be prevailed upon to concoct such 

 "a rank compound of villainous smells," (as Fal- 

 stafl' said by the buck basket,) — "not far distant 

 from the back part of his house." 



Is it a fact so well established as to justify his 

 unqualified assertion of it, that "farm-yard ma- 

 nure" should be suffered to remain from spring 

 and summer, "till the next fall, when, together 

 with the dung and urine of cat*le, with which it is 

 mixed, it makes an excellent manure, and should 

 be carted out and laid in large heaps, for the pur- 

 pose of being placed in the hills of Indian corn or 

 potatoes the ensuing spring]" Is it another fact 

 also so indisputably settled as to require no proof^ 

 that, "stable-dnng and animal manure ought to 

 be spread on tillage-land designed for corn or po- 

 tatoes the spring after it is made, and well mixed 

 with the soil by the harrow first, and then the 

 plough?" Has he ever made fair comparative 

 trials of any different plan, or seen others make 

 them, where the manure was applied on the sur- 

 face, and in a much fresher state? If he has not, 

 can he be called ?i cornpetent judgcl 



AVith Galen's communication, I was, upon the 

 whole, much pleased; although I must say, that 

 he delivers his ojjinions — however inijiortant the 

 subject, rather too abruptly. For instance, he as- 

 serts — without the slightest doubt or qualification, 

 that, as to plants, "the eartlis afford no real nour- 

 ishment themselves, but act entirely as exciting 

 agents." Now, do not all agriculturists admit that 

 there is su(di a thincj as the food of plants, and 

 that it is supplied either by the earths, or by water, 

 or,by both? Will they not also admit, that "ex- 

 citing agents" cannot, with any propriety, be called 

 suppliers of food? Where then is Galen's authori- 

 ty for assuming that as a (act universally admitted, 

 in support of which, he offers nothing, but his ipse 

 dixit? His concluding sentence furnishes another 

 instance of a highly important assertion, entirely 

 without qualification, or illustrative argument to 

 sustain it. I subjoin his own words: "There is a won- 

 derful similarity between the vegetable and ani- 

 mal world; they are both governed by the same 

 laws — the various agents that act upon them are 

 similar," (to both these assertions there are nu- 

 merous and striking exceptions,) — "their organi- 

 zation in many respects the same, and they both 

 possess motion, sensation, and life." This last 

 assertion also, is much too broad; for, not to cavil at 

 the term, "possess motion," instead of the power 

 of motion, the motion and sensation ascribed to 

 vegetables are as really unlike the motion and sen- 

 sation of animals, as any two things can possibly 

 be, between which any sort of resemblance has 

 been supposed to exist. Such fanciful analogies 

 may do very well as ornaments of style, but not 

 for scientific afjriculture. 



Your coiTespondent N. E. Read, in his valua- 

 ble communication, has stated many interesting 

 facts. Few of your friends, probably, have fur- 

 nished more within the same compass. His gene- 

 ral remarks, before he comes to specifications, are 

 particularly good. As to his "new method of pre- 

 serving sweet potatoes," I have no doubt of it be- 

 injj good; but if an old, a cheaper, and safer mode 

 will answer perfectly as Avell, why change it? 

 Such a method has been followed in my part of 

 the country, as far back as I can remember, and 

 has been practised with entire success. It is to 

 put them away in dry sand — as I see also recom- 

 mended in j'our February No. Thus jjreserved, 

 I have often eat them late in April perfectly sound; 

 and this mode has the advantage over Mr. Read's 

 in keeping the roots under lock and kev, in a cel- 

 lar, where they are safe from the depredations of 

 our slaves, who have quite as "sweet a tooth" for 

 sweet potatoes as we ourselves liave. 



Of his plan for preserving dried peaches, ap- 

 ples, &c., I can say, probatum est. 



His remarks headed "Tar, Pine-tree, wood for 

 fuel," appear to me of so much value, that I 

 should rejoice to see them in some of our newspa- 

 perf — taking place of the miserable party politics 

 wiih which Ihey are so incessantly gorging and 

 disgusting all true, honest lovers of their countrj^, 

 all who really prefer its peace, harmony, and iiap- 

 piness to all other political considerations whate- 

 ver. As fire dispels noxious and f(Ptid miasma'a 

 fi'om the natural atrnosjjiere, so might such publi- 

 cations — treating as the latter part of Mr. Read's 

 does, of a most important branch of rural economy 

 — di-spel from our political party-papers, by their 



